Coupling-lock for wheeled vehicles.



M 3. TODD.

COUPLING LOOK FOR WHEELED VEEIGLES. APPLIUATION FILED 111 3.23, 19131,103,452. Patented July 14,1914.

" UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

MARQUIS TODD, OF BUFFALO, NEW YORK, ASSIGNOR TO IBUIEFALO PIT'ISCOMPANY,

01? BUFFALO, NEW YORK, A CORPORATION OF .NEVV YORK.

- COUPLING-LOCK FOR WHEELED VEHICLES.

Specification of Letters Patent. Application filed April 23, 1912.

Patented July 14, 1914. Serial No. 763.138.

To all whom {it may concern:

Be it known that I, MAR UIS J. Tonn, of Buifalo, in the county of Erieand State of New 'York, have invented certain new and usetulImprovements in Coupling-Locks for lVheele'd Vehicles; and I do herebydeclare the following to be afull, clear, and exact.

description of the invention, such as will onable others skilled intheart to which it appertains to make and use the same.

an application for patent filed by me April 22, 1913; SeriaLNo. 762,825,I desc ibedmeans for locking a coupling-bar to either of two adjacentvehicles of atrain of vehicles, the means described for that purpose insuch application being manuallyshift-able so that as the coupling memberis locked to one vehicle it is unlocked from the next adjacent vehicle.

The object of the present invention is to provide forautomaticallylocking and unlocking the coupling member coincident withany reversal of directionof travel of the train, such coupling memberbeing always locked to the forward end of the following or succeedingvehicle. 5

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is atop plan view showingportions of two adjacent vehicles equippedwith my present improvement.Fig. 2 is an enlarged elevation of a coupling member together with itslocking means. Fig. 3 is airehd View thereof.

In the drawings 1 have shown portions of two adjacent vehicles, but inactual practice a train may be composed of any desired number ofvehicles, and breach instance the axles of the carryingwheels arepivoted and connected so as to efi'ect cooperative shifting of thelatter in opposite directions in turning curves. 1

l designates the chassis of a vehicle; 2 the pivoted axles thereof; and3 the carrviny wheels. the axles of which are centrally pivotcd. but ifdesired pivoted stub-axles may be employed.

l is a coupling. memherwhich is shown in the form of a bar pivoted at.its ends to the adjacent vehicles, centrally thereof, and in addition toits pivotal connection this bar is capable of being locked to either oftho vchiclcs so as to extend rigidly therefrom. Ital-h vcl i -le isshown as equipped with a ra k I connected to the pivoted axles and n".h-h he coupling bar is designed to be -'bPd. [\s pointcd out. in mybetore noted l-oop which depends application for patent, in unlockingthe bar from one vehicle it is locked to the next ad- Jacent vehicle.such change being necessary when the direction of travel is reversed.The locking means may be of any preferred form of construction but Ihave found that shown to be highly advantageous. It comprises two pins(3 capable of being shifted by a lever T fulcrumed on the bar. whilethis lever may be operated manually, to change the locking arrangement,it is the purpose of my present invention to avoid the neces-. sity ofsuch manual operation, and hence save the time heretofore required forthat purpose, by automatically moving the lock lever from one positionto the other coincident with the reversal of direction of travel of thetrain. The means shown for acc0m-' plishing this purpose is designed toengage with the road and to be ant-mnatically actuated by the act ofreversing the direction of travel of the train, but the particular constrnction may be widely varied. I have shown the element 7 as a lover ofthe firstorder, its lower arm 8 being in the form of'a below theplane ofthe coupling-bar. This arm 8 is engaged by the upper arm 9 of a secondlever 10 which is fulcrunicd between spaced-aparthangers 12 dependingfrom the coupling bar. 1 have shown arm 9 composed ofspaced-apartmembers between which arm 8 is designed to extend, andhaving a cross pin lilwlrich projects through the opening in arm'S.Normally the lever 10 occupies a rcarwardly inclined position about atright angles to the plane of lock lever 7. the longer arm of lever 10 isgreater than the distance between its fulcrum and the road on a verticalplane through said fulcrum.

As the train is traveling the lever 1.0 drags over the road. and shouldit encormteran obstruction. will readily ride t-hcrcover withoutaffecting lock lever 7. l'Vhonthe d rection of travel is reversed thelower end of lever 10 entering the ground holds the lever and causes itto turn on its fulcrum, and in so turning it shifts the lock lever T,thereby unlocking the coupling bar from one vehicle and locking it tothe other.

To allow of the necessary shortening in the length of lever 10 as itassumes an upright position. tho longer arm thereof is shown uS Pro:tied with a plunger ll which is normally old cxended by a coil springThe normal length of vehicles is reversed.

15 inelosed within siid arm. To enable the shifting lever to be thrownout oi the way, as when it is desired to manually operate the lock lever7, I form the longer arm 01'. lever 10 in two parts united by a joint16, which Will permit the lower part to nioved laterally. In someinstances it may be so i'noved by obstructions in the road Theadvantages of my present invention will be readily appreciated. It willbe noted that by means thereof it is unnecessary for an attendant to gobetween several vehicles of a'train to shift the locks since the merereversal of the direction of travel of the train Will bring about thenecessary change in the'l'ool'ting of each coupling bar.

I blairn'i'isn'iy invention: o i

1. In combination ,with a pair of heeled vehicles; coupling memberbetween such vehicles. locldngineans carried by said coucoincidentWith-'tho'i'eversal of direction of n'i inbe'r from one vehicle as islocked-to the other vehicle.

2. In conibinetion with ar of wheeled vehicles, a coupliiig memberbetween ench vehicles,- locking mea denied by said cloupli'iiginembe'rfor locking the inner to one or the ot-heifiof said vehicles. and meanscare ir f .7 1 r1ed by seid coupllng member for automate cally actuatingsaidlock ng means. c'oincr dent with the reversal of'direction of travelofthe vehicles, to unlock the coupling niember from one vehicle as'it islocked tolt he other Vehicle.

3. In combination with a pair of wheeled vehicles, a coupling memberbetween such vehicles, locking means carried by said coupling member forlocking the latter to one or the other of said vehicles, and a shiftingmember carried by said coupling member for automatically actuating saidlocking means when the direction of novel of the 4. In combinatibi'iwithja pair of wheeled vehicles, a coupling nieniher between such Vehicles,:locl in means carried by said coupling member. for loci-ting {l orthe other of said vehicles, an arm pivoted to and depending from saidcoupling mc1n her and designed to engage the road, said arm normallylying at an oblique angle to thecon'pli'ng member, and means actuated bythe'shifting of said man consequent upon the reversalv of direction oftravel oft-he vehicle'sfloi iinlovhing' said couplingnic1nher fronr'ohevehicle and locking it to the other vehicle.

5. Irr combination with a pair ol. wheeled vehicles; a coupling memberbetween such vehicles, loc'lzin \e. latter to one i it I, f? gmeanscarried by said c011 pling member for locking thelatter to one (55 orthe other of said velri les, enecoinl'irislilg a levercapabl'e'of'odciipying t'wopositions, a second lever carried by saidcoupling bar and engaging the first inentioned lever, said second levernormally occupying an oblique position relatively to the coupling memberand designedetobe turned on its fulcrum by engaging with the roadconsequent upon the reversal of direction of travel of the V9- hicles,and; thereby, through the first men-' 7 5 tioned lever, el iecttheshifting-oi said lock ingmeansv f 6. In combination witha-pa-irof'zwheeled vehicles a couplingbarbetvveen such vehicles, meansforloekin'g ,the coupling, bar to 86 either vehicle said lockingmeans"-compris= ing a levern'iounted onsaid-coupling her) v I a secondlever also ,mounted, on seid' couspl-ing: member for' locking the letterto one or the other of said vehicles, and means for,

automatically shifting said "locking means,

plillgi-bal and hevingeslidinglengageinem a the shifting thereof astheisecond mentioned v I lever is shiftedlby-ilis engagement with thetravel of the vehiole's, to unlock the coiiipling' road conseqnen't'uipon areversal in the d l rctionof travelof the: vehicle's,said'secondi a lever mounted on s'aid-bouplingbarfa; second lever-alsomounted: on said coupling; bar and havingh sliding engagement with thefirst mentioned lever for effeetin'fe; the' shifting thfereof as rthesecond mentioned 1 00 lever is shifted byits engagement with the roadconsequent upon a reversal in-the 'di-'-"--"' rccti on of travelot thevehicles; said second lever having its'lower'a-rm jointed and-cwpable ofbein ej rooved laterally.

8. In combination with wpeir of Wheeledmhi les a,-connling barbet-Ween'sue-h" vehi- .cles, means for locking the coupling her to eithervehicle. said locking-means com pris ing a lever mounted onsaliil'coupl'ingbar ,and I10 lHU'HlQ: its lower arm in the "form of a looinasecond lever also-i'nlernmed on'saideoubliflg oar and having a pniproectingthrough said ion-p whereby; as the second rnentiondilever isshiited by its engagement Withthe road,

the first mentioned-lever will be turnedon its I v rulcrn n, said secondmentioned lever being capable of limited movement without aifect- .ingthe first mentioned lever.

In testimonywhereof, I have signed this 0 specification inthe presenceoftwo snbserib'-'v

